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Dutchmen
Gender: Male
| | Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex < on 4/16/2010 3:40 PM >
| | | A bit later as promised; see: http://www.uer.ca/...d=52705&currpage=5 I decided that I’ll taking you today in a virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex in the Baltic States. This silo launch base consisting 3 rockets of the intermediate SS-5 Sandal (R-12U) based in three separated silo’s or the 4 silo based rockets of the SS-5 Skean (R-14U) type. In many former Soviet Republics as well in present day Russia itself are a number of these type of complexes, as well as many other military facilities and rocket basses (surfaced based; launch path system); now a days mostly abandoned and laying forgotten in the dense forests over there. Some other technical characteristics: This 2 rockets systems had a range for about 1250 miles (R-12U) till 2800 miles (R-14U) and where aimed to target on intermediate goals in Western-Europe. The where commissioned during the period of 1963-1978 (R-12U) and 1965-1984 for the R-14U system and deliver a payload of 1.6 to 2.1 tons and could carry a single nuclear warhead of 2.3 Megaton. The length of the rockets was about 75-80 feet for both of the rocket types; so the silos are at least 90 feet deep to keep the rocket in place including the space beneath the rocket for the fire deflectors. Source: Podvig, Pavel – Russian Strategic Nuclear forces 2004 Note: These photo’s are taken on several basses (silo and launch path basses) in Latvia and Lithuania; it is just an compilation of photo’s to ensure that the viewer can have an general overview of the particular parts of such a silo-launch base. Hope you enjoy the trip! Typical concrete prefab road track leading into the forest. When you see tracks like this leading from a normal traffic road in to the forest you can bet that their must be something out there! Guard house of the outer perimeter of the base on top a machinegun pillbox. There where several highly guarded and defended perimeters before you reach the actual silo complex. Barbed wired fence of one of the perimeters Kennel for the security dogs Commemorative column - commemorating important events of the communistic party Reaching the inner perimeter where the silo’s are deployed. View on one of the silo dome’s View from one of the silo dome’s towards another one. Detail of one of the silo dome’s. You can see two of the steel tracks in the concrete in order to make it possible to move the dome in this direction over the tracks to open the silo. Another detail of one of the silo dome’s. Remark the two steel anchor plate’s to fixed the truck on the surface in order to been able to load/unload the silo with a rocket. On top of the dome: the small hole is used to load an warhead on the rocket in times of alert. View in to the loading hole on top of the dome into the silo. Between the 3 or 4 silo’s there you can find the subterranean launch control, command and technical facilities. Here we are in; looking back to the entry portal. One of the first rooms used as decontamination area; typical color pallets which you can find on every former Soviet base. Storage bed for the rocket oxidizer tank. Switch panels in the main control room Another room - warning sign. Generator hall providing electricity. This facilities could be complete self-supporting with warhead loaded and fueled rocket in place up to one month in times of conflict situations. Technical scheme’s in the generator hall. Just a nice photo in the generator hall. Piping and tubing in one of the rooms. Old fashioned switch board. In the lowest section of the subterranean area you can find 3 or 4 corridors leading to the individual silo’s. Here looking at the junction of the of these corridors, leading to the silo numbered 1-1 and 1-4 (of 4). One of the corridors leading to one of the silo’s. The actual ground level is not the level on times when the base was on duty as you can see on the painted upper section. The section under the walking level was used as cableway. Looking in the silo; on top you can see the silo dome. Detail of the silo dome with still the technical maintenance platform in position. Detail of the technical maintenance platform, to the small warhead loading hole in the dome. CCCP! Button to activate the maintenance elevator which is running in a small elevator corridor along the silo tube. Silo chamber situated under the dome with a few small access hatch to the silo tube. Looking in the silo tube through the small hatch in the silo chamber. From this point the photo’s are taken looking in to the silo tube. It is impossible to photograph the whole silo tube from this point because of the small angle. However; most of the silo’s are filled with water up to the groundwater level on site. So it is normally impossible to go deeper into the silo because of this water level. There are sites in Russia and Kazakhstan which are dry, unfortunately I haven’t visit this sites not yet, but in future I will do certainly. Examples of warning signs you can find al over the place. Examples of warning signs you can find al over the place. Examples of warning signs you can find al over the place. Examples of warning signs you can find al over the place. Examples of warning signs you can find al over the place. Also the common Soviet soldier had is own music favorites and obviously not only polka’s! Nicely made wooden framework with Soviet star on a door leading to a sauna in the living quarters of the rocket base. Once it was bringing light in to the darkness. Laboratory area on the base. The Truth! Pravda newspaper from 1977! Nice mural mosaics made by soldiers who worked on the based. Another mural mosaics; Lenin in top of the flag accompanied by a soldier and labor man! Memorial on one of the bases; 2 rockets climbing up to the sky! Hope you enjoy the virtual trip! Best wishes from Holland – The Dutchmen
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yokes
location: Toronto Gender: Male
I aim to misbehave
| | | | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 1 on 4/16/2010 4:03 PM >
| | | Great tour
"Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men." - Richard Nickel |
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MedzDoc
location: Armpit of Durham Gender: Male
Oh my....this feels strange.
| | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 2 on 4/16/2010 5:01 PM >
| | | Loved it......Thank You Very Much.
Sterility is Hereditary.....Chances are if your parents never had any kids, nether will YOU !!! Some of my posts my contain traces of Methyl fluorosulfonate (F-SO2-OCH3), Cyclosarin (C7H14FO2P) or the Ebola virus................ "Drugs are for people that can't handle reality..............I get HIGH on reality" - Me |
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RomanKam
location: Los Angeles Gender: Male
Allison's Gulch
| | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 3 on 4/16/2010 10:16 PM >
| | | Thousand of miles away in the Arizona desert, missile sites that look very similar, build a little differently, with the same purpose also lie dormant. I like the wooden door with the Red Star. That must have some value!
Man builds, man abandons, we EXPLORE! |
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peppermintpete
location: Sedalia, MO Gender: Male
| | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 4 on 4/17/2010 3:30 AM >
| | | Excellent. The power to end the Earth was just chillin' under a bit of concrete and a few warning signs.
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Wilk
location: NYC Gender: Male
| | | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 5 on 4/21/2010 12:21 AM >
| | | Thanks for sharing that with us. Ive explored a few of the missile bases in the southwestern United states, its cool to see these pictures and compare the two.
Ready for liftoff |
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Imbroglio
location: DFW Gender: Male
The glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
| | | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 6 on 4/22/2010 4:07 AM >
| | | Very well done; thanks for sharing the images, and for putting it all together in such a cohesive manner.
http://www.noelkernsphotography.com |
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Therrin
This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: North of Chicago, IL Gender: Male
*Therrin puts on the penguin-suit
| | | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 7 on 4/22/2010 4:41 AM >
| | | I also loved this tour! Having been on the guided tour of the silo complex in southern arizona, it's very interesting to see pictures of silo complexes in other countries. For myself at least I get a real feeling of both the architectural and equipment complexity and simplicities between the American bases and these from other countries. In the base I saw in Arizona everything was ultra reinforced with massive vault doors and ... I guess I'm just used to seeing the way American facilities are installed and such. Seeing what conditions and design other people were using is a real eye opener. I think it's all pretty amazing. Thanks so much for the pictures and descriptions!!
Give a person a match and they'll be warm for a minute, but light them on fire and they'll be warm for the rest of their life. =) |
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UsER28459
location: Southern Ontario Gender: Male
| | | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 8 on 4/22/2010 2:30 PM >
| | | Very cool!
I was exploring the cave last night. That's why I was late. |
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snide_tripod
location: Edmonton AB. Canada Gender: Male
| | Re: Virtual tour through a abandoned Soviet missile silo launch-complex <Reply # 9 on 4/26/2010 6:01 AM >
| | | Very cool. I too like that door. I would like to have it in my house! lol
my eyez iz greenz with enviez |
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